Another Devizes boater drowned

THE boater who died after falling into the Kennet and & Canal in Devizes, drank ten cans of lager a day and smoked cannabis an inquest heard.

This was the second such death by alcohol related drowning at Devizes since last December (Drowned boater had three times legal limit).

Cardiac arrest

Wiltshire Coroner David Ridley told he did not know why Gary Hedges fell in, but ruled that he suffered an adverse reaction to being in the water, causing a cardiac arrest which led to his death.

Gary Hedges had lived on the narrowboat Gold Crest since August 2012, and was looking after a the narrowboat the Spirit of Marmalade.

Alcohol issues

A resident at Kingsmanor Wharf saw the body of Gary Hedges floating in the water near to a narrowboat he was looking after, that was untied at the bow. His wife told the court that her husband suffered fits through drinking too much alcohol, and that he worked for Sally Boats as a technician but was dismissed due to alcohol issues.

He had been prescribed medication for alcohol withdrawal symptoms. His alcohol intake, it was told was ten cans of lager a day. He also smoked cannabis.

The coroner recorded a verdict of accidental death, saying it happened due to submersion in water rather than drowning.